The experience of birth, life, death and the world is the reality within the waking experience.

The experience of birth, life, death and the world is the reality within the waking experience. The innermost   Self is nothing to do with the experience of birth, life death and the world  because it is birthless. The one, which is born, lives and dies is within the world is the waking entity. Waking entity is not the self.  The self is that, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states without the physical apparatus.  

The experience of birth, life, death and the world (waking) is an object to the formless subject (the soul, the innermost self).  Thus the object (mind or the universe or waking) is mere illusion on the standpoint of the formless subject (soul).

Man has a firm conviction that he is an individual separate from the world and  the world existed prior to him and he is born in in it afterwards.  This conviction makes him remain in ignorance. And ignorance makes him accept the illusion as reality.  Thus he is caught up in the web of illusion experiencing the birth, life, death and the world as reality.   

What is this universe (samsara), what is this illusion to the formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self?  Consciousness and the universe both are one in essence ultimately.   

Only people who are stuck to the reality of the universe think the body as body, ego as ego and the world as world.  It never strikes to them the waking experience in which they exist along with their world also as unreal as a dream.  

The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place and the waking becomes unreal when waking entity gets wisdom and realizes it is not the self but the self is the formless witness (soul) of the three states.  The consciousness is within the three states as their formless substance and it is apart from the three states as their formless witness.  It is apart because it is not and entity or identity within the three states.

The person, who stamped their foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real. 

When wisdom dawns, the soul, the innermost self, wakes up in its formless nondual true nature in the midst of duality (waking). For a Gnani the body, ego and the universe are a mere mirage created out of consciousness.

When the universe (mind) is considered not different from the consciousness (soul), which is the innermost self, then there is the division of form, time and space.  When form, time and space are one in essence then where is the universe (mind).  

The universe (waking) is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Many thinkers approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the universe (waking), they take it as real. Thus they are stuck to the reality of the illusory experience of the birth, life, death and the world as reality.  Thus it is necessary to realize the man and the world confronts him are one in essence in order to realize the form, time and space are one in essence.    

Thinker is the form. Without the form the thinking is an impossibility.

 Thoughts are   nothing to do with the innermost self, which is ever formless because without the form, time and space the thought will not be formed.  The thought rises only to the waking entity or dream entity. Without the waking entity or dream entity the thoughts will not rise. Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the self is the formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.  The three states are nothing to do with the self because they are mere illusion.

Thoughts arise to the person within the waking or dream. Thinker is the form. Without the form the thinking is an impossibility. Thus thinker and the thoughts are part of the known. The witness of the knower and known is formless. 

Thoughts and thinker are nothing to do with the formless witness. The witness is that witnesses the thoughts and thinker together and remains always in the within the waking or dream as their formless substance.

People think that, more they think, the more they will get; but it is really an error. It remains only a thought and gives them back only thoughts.  Anything seen, observed, cannot be the Self or the Witness. 

Consciousness is the substance and the witness of the duality.  The duality is present in the form of mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream and diapers as deep sleep. The one which is aware of the coming and going of the three states is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  When the soul becomes aware of its formless non-dual true nature in the midst of duality it is called self –awareness. It is foolish to limit the consciousness only to duality because the consciousness pervades all the three states 

When one analyzes he finds the fact that the ‘I’ is mind and mind is present in the form of the universe and the universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.

Ego is physical mind and it is in the form of individual experience, feelings thoughts and sensations together. 

Eradicating the ignorance completely is necessary. And this is possible only through self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.   Thus, there is no other road to freedom other than Gnana.  There is no other entrance other than except Gnana.  The ignorance will vanish only when the non-dual wisdom dawns.

That is why Sri Sankara, indicated  in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Then it is no use going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind.  By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  is meant only for those who have intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth.   Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm conviction.

'I AM' is not the self. Till one holds 'I AM or ‘I’ as self he is holding false as reality.

 'I AM'   is   not the self.  Till one  holds 'I AM  or ‘I’ as self he is  holding falsehood  as reality. One has to get rid of the ‘I’ or 'I AM' because it  is the physical shackle. 

·         ‘I’ is ignorance.

·         ‘I’ is an illusion.

·         ‘I’ is duality

·         ‘I’ is universal.

·         ‘I’ is waking experience

·         ‘I’ is a dream.

·         ‘I’ is mind

    'I' is form,time and space to gather

What is ‘I’? The ‘I’ disappears in deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is illusory.

There is really no ‘I’. It dies in deep sleep. But the notion of its unreality will gradually grasp by the receptive seekers. Individuality is illusory.

One is ignorant of the fact that the ‘I’ is present as mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The one that comes and goes as waking dream and has no permanent existence is only a mirage after all.

The soul or consciousness, the innermost self is that which knows everything, that which sees. The soul alone remains after one gets rid of waking or dream entity by identification with true self. The soul or  is the seer. The true nature of the soul or consciousness, is formless and nondual.

There must be a perceiver which knows that all these are illusions. The experience of the diversity is on a substratum--mind. Imaginations are possible only in duality. Even when one say he exists he is he exists as a person in duality.

That, which becomes conscious of the experience of diversity, is the seer/witness, the Atman, the Knower.  No one has ever seen the Atman, for it is never an object. Hence logic, inference, cannot be applied to it, because intellect, logic is for objective world and waking experience only, the state where one infers effects from causes. The greatest mistake is considering the duality as reality, to confuse the object with the subject. There is no proof that the seer is confined to waking /dream. It is universal.

If the knower also had been changing along with the changes, how could it ever have known of the changes? It is only that which is known which is changing, otherwise it could not have been known. Those who say the self is also changing are uttering words without meaning. How could one know whether anything is changing unless there were something which itself did not change and could thus note the changes?

One knows of no changes in the Atman; one knows only the changes in what is perceived by the Atman. When one realizes the nature of Atman the true self, he knows the Real can never change, hence never die. Death is only in the region of the "seen/duality."

That of which one is aware and which is nearer to him is the Formless Witness. Yet no statement can be made about it. All words will concern ideas about it, i.e. seen (waking or dream)-never the Formless Witness.

Without the individual self one could never think. Through such thinking he is able to prove the existence of Atman, for the individual is finally identical with the the formless soul or consciousness.

If the unchanging had also been changing, then the fact of change would never be perceptible to one. The Formless Witness never alters and is thus the true witness.

The Formless Witness is immortal, because one sees change always in seen/waking/dream. One never sees it in Formless Witness because he never sees Formless Witness. Hence one cannot ascribe mortality to Formless Witness as we can to seen (waking or  dream). He can only remain silent about it.

Everything of which one is aware is he is aware within the duality (waking or dream). As the ego is something of which one is aware is part of the duality (waking or dream).

Whatever one says about Ataman, it is only a thought or word, i.e. a seen [waking/dream]. Reason when applied to seen [waking/dream he can grasp it; but it can never grasp the Formless Witness. Reason can tell you the Formless Witness is there, but it cannot grasp it. This is the limit of reason. But the Formless Witness is always there; it cannot be known, or understood because knowing implies a second thing. But in all acts of knowledge, the Formless Witness is there when you are thinking, you are therefore seeking Ataman. Hence Ataman is known only in idealessness. It is impossible to be free from Ataman, for it is impossible for any thought to arise without it.

One must analyze himself and see that whenever there is it seen [waking/dream], there must be the Formless Witness which is aware of it. When he sees this, he knows the Atman. Hence Formless Witness-Seen analysis is so fundamental and so difficult.

People wrongly think that the ego is the Witness, even though the ego vanishing along with the waking/dream.

When one inquire and reasons deeply enough the ego disappears he finds there are no separate individuals at all, there is no variety of beings, all are really the undivided the soul or consciousness. 

Yoga is good in preparatory stages in pursuit of truth but yoga is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Yoga is good in preparatory stages in pursuit of truth but yoga is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Reasoning is interpretable in two ways. The defective interpretation is to apply it only to waking state, which is egocentric. The correct interpretation is to apply it to the three states, which is soulcentric. The latter leads to final settlement of the problems because it takes all data into consideration.

Everything has to be verified before accepting it as truth.  To be applied to every statement or assertion or speculations: It is “Is this true?” “Where is the proof?”

Opinions belong to scholasticism, not to Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. There is no scope for opinions in the path of  wisdom.

A Gnani prefers not to cross examine others or indulge in argument and try to prove he is right others are wrong. He will say what he has to say.    He does not impose others to accept his statements. . He tries to expose their fallacies of every path and practices to help the serious seekers no to condemn their chosen paths. . By showing that all other paths and doctrines are erroneous, he reveals that the path of wisdom or truth is left as the only alternative.

If one has a belief, it is because somebody else believes it; or the majority believes it--or it is his own experience. Is it religious authority or religious sanction or is it based upon a feeling of certainty? Does one believe it merely because it works well or is it true? If one asks the question of Truth, it becomes a question of philosophy. Does one’s belief rest upon Reason? Nearly all people want their own imagination, not truth.

Ultimate truth or Brahman cannot be defined in positive terms because any definition would mean limitation

There is no scope  for blind no belief in the path of truth or wisdom. The path of truth or wisdom  demands deeper self-search People do not want to think deeply because it is too troublesome. They say why worry about pursuit of truth they have enough problem in practical world.  Such mindsets are not fit for the path  of truth of wisdom. Without the inner urge one should not venture into pursuit of truth. 

Blind beliefs without verification and argument and interpretation on the base of the false self ( ego or waking entity)  are not verified knowledge therefore it is not truth.

v  What is the use of arguing on the base of the birth entity, which is not the self?

v  What is the use of knowing what happens after death when the self is birthless? 

v  What is the use of thinking of the heaven and hell when the self is not an individual and it is never born and never dies?

When formless consciousness, is the innermost self, which pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states, what value the theoretical philosophies and scientific inventions   which are based on individual intellectuality will have.  

The consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman. Consciousness is the ground of the universe, the consciousness is the first cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused. 

Ultimate truth  or Brahman cannot be defined in positive terms because any definition would mean limitation.  One has to realize the fact that, the universe and all its contents are a mere mirage created out of consciousness.  That means the mind and the soul, which is the innermost self are one in essence. 

Sri Sankara says: - Yoga is not the means of liberation

Yoga helps the yogi by giving him the feeling that the world is not worth bothering about, it detaches him from the world; it makes him treat the world as a dream, i.e. an idea. It does the same to his ego to some extent because he becomes indifferent to what happens to him. But this is only feeling, he feels these things only but does not know that the world is mere mirage. Such knowledge can come only after the soul-centric inquiry and reasoning and in no other way. That is why yogi cannot be Gnani. It is the difference between egocentric and soulcentric knowledge.

Yogic experience is based on individuality. Individual Feeling or opinion   that the world is unreal may change in the future because all individual emotions are liable to change; and the fact is that individuals do change, as when they indulge in circumstances of practical life within the practical world   and they lose their sense of world unreality though previously they felt it. A permanent view of the world as unreal or illusion can come only after soulcentric inquiry and reasoning; such knowledge cannot change.

Where one is sharp enough to grasp   he could discover the  fallacy of the three states  by soulcentric  reasoning alone and then it would not be necessary for him to have gone through yoga practice at all; that is why  yoga is for dull or middling intellects.

To know the whole truth, one  must know  the nature of all the three states, otherwise he gets half-truth. One has to inquire into the world that   confronts him. If one drops the world confronting him means it is his   incapacity to do a deeper self - search.

Visions and Samadhi are illusions from the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self. In Mandukya it is given that Samadhi and sleep are identical. Brihad Upanishad does not advocate Samadhi.  In non-duality, contemplation has no meaning.

Sri Sankara says: - Yoga is not the means of liberation (page 132-133 - Commentary on Brihadaranyakopanishad.

One cannot get rid of ignorance through Yoga because yoga is practiced on the false self within the false experience.  Without getting rid of the ignorance false self and false experience will prevail as reality.

Those who are practicing yoga for long years and found tit it to be inadequate and useless to realize ultimate truth or Brahman   should leave must take the  path of wisdom in order to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Thus religion oriented Self-Realization is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

 Anyone who has an intense urge to know the ultimate truth or Brahman can realize the ultimate truth or Brahman while lives householders’ life.  

This world is common to every living creature; therefore one must begin his inquiry with the world that confronts him.  It is only after one has inquired into the nature of the objective world, that he should inquire into who is the knower or witness. If, however one inquires into the knower before the inquiry into the universe, then it is mere mysticism. What is the world? must precede Who  is  this ego  or physical entity ? in in pursuit of truth.

In olden times, religious and Yogic and mystic discipline, which were not an end in itself, considered to be a means for Self-Realization or truth realization. But such discipline is almost impossible task for the modern man to adopt. Day by day modern man is becoming aware of the fact that, religion and yoga are nothing to do with the ultimate truth.

 The religious truth is individual truth. Every religion has its own idea of god, heaven, hell paradise, sin karma, code of conduct thus they are not universal truth. Religion is based on the false self and false experience thus religious truth cannot be accepted as ultimate truth or Brahman. Thus religion oriented Self-Realization is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The religion is the greatest obstacle in the path of wisdom or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The modern mindset is pre-eminently scientific owing to the great progress that science has made. And the best method of freeing the mind from its inaccurate ways of thinking is to imbue it as fully as possible with the scientific spirit. It is therefore only one who possesses a clear knowledge of its methods and results i.e., who is able to make reason the highest means of inquiry that would be fit for Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Vedanta itself admits its highest Truth that is, Atman or Brahman cannot be reached by any path other than that of reason and unless the reason is sharper than the ‘Edge of a razor'.

That is why Sri Sankara, in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Thus it proves that wisdom is universal irrespective of any religion of faith one belongs.  Thus religion is not the means to self-knowledge.  Thus Sri, Sankara’s Advaita minus orthodoxy is true Advaita.

Reason on the true base is the highest means of attaining Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Religion, theology, mystic practice and yoga are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Absence of reason is absence of wisdom.

Brahman means ultimate truth. Oneness is the nature of Brahman.

Brahman means ultimate truth. Oneness is the nature of Brahman.  The formless   soul is the innermost self. The soul is present in the form of consciousness.  The nature of the consciousness is oneness. 

In scriptures one will find many ways to realize Brahman but after getting all the information about all the path one has to begin to investigate, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman cannot be realized through scriptures, religion or god or guru glorification because the ultimate truth or Brahman is beyond form, time and space whereas man and his experience of the world his religion, his belief of God are within the scope of form, time and space.  From ultimate standpoint form, time and space are illusion because they are one in essence.

Scriptures prescribe much way to find Brahman but they are mere information. After verifying all the information one will not find Brahman in of these.  One will never succeed in realizing the ultimate truth unless his soul, the innermost self becomes restless for acquiring the ultimate truth of Brahman.  One must begin  to do his own homework without the scriptures , only then  it is possible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

All the egocentric paths propagate that to be non-observant and to withdraw: keen powers of observation are desirable and will help, not hinder one’s pursuit of truth. The seeker should not do not run away from the world in ascetic fear or shyness of them. To simply accept the world to be Maya or illusion   without first verifying   and realizing   in what way the world is Maya or illusion, and inquiring into them thoroughly is to delude one own self.

Ramana Maharishi:-No. Do you need all that to see yourself? All that is intellectual wealth, useful in explaining doubts and difficulties if others raise them or if you yourself encounter them in the course of thinking. But to attain realization, all that is not necessary. You want fresh water to drink, but you do not require all the water of the river Ganges to quench your thirst. -Page 111/112 of Practical guide to know yourself c/e by A.R.N.

This surely indicates Sri, Ramana Maharishi’s path is independent path nothing to with the religion and scriptures.

Even Upanishad says:-

This Ataman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Ataman reveals Its own form. -Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20

Mundaka Upanishad  :-

This Ataman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Ataman—by him alone is Ataman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature.--3-P-70 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada]

The scriptures indicate that Ataman is Brahman, and Brahman is ultimate truth. Therefore the soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is ultimate truth.  Thus to realize the ultimate truth is the prime goal.   A well-directed inquiry, analysis and reasoning will lead one to his nondual destination. 

Self-realization is a direct realization of the ultimate truth or real god, in contrast with traditional paths, which are indirect. And the other paths cannot lead to the ultimate destination because they are based on the false self, which they hold as real self and false experience as reality. 

Until and unless one overcomes physical shackle it is impossible to understand and assimilate the nondual truth, which is beyond the physical existence or the universe.  Consciousness itself is lord of itself though not of the universe. And having nothing it has all.

Gaudapada quotes from the Upanishads: "There's no plurality here"; "The Lord(Atman)through his powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to the creation or production or origination go into utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for who can produce him (Atman)?”

It is only who base on ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self, argue and quarrel amongst themselves. The people who are fully aware of the fact that, the form, time and space are a mere mirage created out of consciousness have no reason to quarrel, because for them everything is consciousness and no second thing exist other than consciousness.

The source is also known as -Spiritual Heart , Primal Energy, Consciousness, Awareness, Plenitude, God - is Unicity, Oneness, and Non-dual reality, Buddha's nature or Chirst.

The “Self” simply means that the non-dual source, which is the formless soul.  The source is also known as -Spiritual  Heart , Primal Energy, Consciousness, Awareness, Plenitude, God - is Unicity, Oneness, and Non-dual reality, Buddha's nature or Christ.

Consciousness is the one behind the many (universe).   If one becomes aware of the soul or consciousness, the innermost self, then the universe in which we exist is mere illusion. Thus our existence as an individual separate from the world is mere illusion created out of single stuff, which consciousness.  

When viewed as waking entity or ego, the waking world seems to be real.   Deeper self-search reveals the fact that, the waking entity is false self within the false experience and the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the self is the formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Without knowing the nature of the mind or the universe, it is impossible to know the truth. It is of no use of trying to find the truth before one understands the nature of the universe. The world which confronts one is also consciousness itself therefore the world in which man exists is a mere mirage created out of consciousness, which is the innermost self.

If one does not make his induction from facts from the world before him, the world of the five senses, he only draws on his imaginations. Then he says “The ‘Self’   is like this, or like that." but it will be only his imagination within the waking experience, which is mere illusion from ultimate standpoint.

What are these three states? Consciousness never experienced in the plural, only singular of which plural is unknown; that there is only thing and what seems to be plurality is merely diverse aspect this one thing, produced by a deception, which Advaitin sages called it as Maya.   

First seeker must inquire into the nature of the physical body i.e. Matter. Second he must inquire into the nature of the mind to realize, the mind is in the form of the universe and the universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. That is, mind (waking or dream) becomes the soul (consciousness) and soul (consciousness) becomes mind (waking or dream).  Or form (waking or dream)  becomes formless(consciousness)  or formless(consciousness)  becomes a form(waking or dream) .     

The consciousness, the innermost self-pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states therefore the consciousness is not limited to waking entity and waking world. Thus all the three states   have to be taken into account.  WHO AM ‘I’? An inquiry which exposes the false nature   of the waking entity reveals only half truth.  Therefore one has to indulge in deeper self-search to realize ‘I’ itself is not the self in order to unfold the mystery of the mind or the universe.

Know that which has the  form to be unreal and the formless to be permanent.  One has to look at everything in the world because in everything there is Consciousness because the world is created out of consciousness.  One should not avoid the world   and shut   himself away from the world that confronts him like a yogi and meditator because the world which is as much consciousness, as his body.  It is very much necessary to realize the body and the world are one in essence.

Many People who are stuck with” WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT are unaware of the fact that, their journey in incomplete. ‘WHO AM ‘I’ and “I AM THAT’ are only stages, they have to go much beyond WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’ .

The soul, which present in the form of  consciousness is not limited to the waking entity and the waking world because it pervades all the three states.

By inquiring “WHO AM ‘I’?”  , which is limited the waking entity will yield only half truth,   because it exposed only the unreal nature of the form and fails to expose the unreality of the time and space.   Thus ‘WHO AM I? The inquiry will not yield full truth.   Without taking all the three states into account,    it is impossible to realize the ultimate truth of Brahman.

Many People who are stuck with” WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT are unaware of the fact that,  their journey in incomplete. ‘WHO AM ‘I’ and “I AM THAT’ are only stages, they have to go much beyond WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’ .

When self is not   waking entity and waking experience is a false experience than what is the use of assuming of the ‘Self ‘without the form without realizing what ‘self ‘is in actuality.   One has to realize the self is within the form, time and space but self is without the form, time and space.  The form, time and space are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Consciousness is the innermost self.   On the standpoint of the innermost self, the form, time and space are mere illusion. Therefore, perfect understanding is needed to realize ‘what is what’ to know ‘what is truth ‘and ‘what is illusion’. Simply intellectually speculating saying ‘I AM THIS’ or ‘I AM THAT’ is not Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

That is why the Buddha said:-                                                                                          

Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:-

1. It is repeatedly recited,
2. It is written in a scripture,
3. It was handed from guru to disciple,
4. Everyone around you believes it,
5. It has supernatural qualities,
6. It fits my beliefs anyway,
7. It sounds rational to me,
8. It is taught by a respectable person,
9. It was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. One must defend it or fight for it.

However, only when it agrees with your experience and reason, and when it is conducive to the good and the gain of oneself and all others, then one should accept the teachings, and live up to them."
....Buddha.

The seeker of truth is one who is ready verify and has courage to accept and reject the truth when he finds out what is truth and what is untruth. The meek will stick to their inherited conditioning remain experiencing duality as reality.

Non-duality has no place for an individualized God or anything supernatural

The scriptures have been passed down by hearing from one generation to the next. They were written down only relatively late. So, no one would know whether to rely on the times they give. Also, a lot depends on the translation. Each 'Shloka' (sanskrit verse) is open to many layers of interpretation.

Non-duality has no place for an individualized God or anything supernatural.   The formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the innermost self, which pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.  When wisdom dawns one becomes aware of the fact that the soul is the innermost self and the soul or consciousness witnesses all the three states. The witness and witnessed are one is essence.  

All the name and form has no value from the ultimate standpoint, because all the names and forms are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Consciousness alone is real and eternal. Thus formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self, is ultimate truth or Brahman. Nothing higher than that can be, when there is unity in diversity.

 That universal unity is what Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada discovered by investigating the depth of dimension of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe. They realized this ultimate truth and enlightened. They achieved Gnana or Bodhi, the Self-Knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Thoughts are nothing to do with the innermost self, which is ever formless because without the form, time and space the thought will not be formed.

Everyone is holding some teaching or teacher or their accepted truth as a yardstick. All that accumulated knowledge is of no use in pursuit of truth. 

The ‘I’ is inborn samskara or conditioning, because of this inborn samskara or conditioning one has accepted the ‘I’ as ‘self, he is ignorant of the fact that, he has accepted illusion as reality.  The ‘I’ itself is an illusion.  And whatever is connected to the ‘I’ is bound to be an illusion.  The self is not an individual because it is birthless because it is formless.  The self is not limited to waking experience alone because it pervades all the three states.  Thus identifying the self without the form alone is erroneous.   The self is without the form, without the time and without the space.

 Thoughts are nothing to do with the innermost self, which is ever formless because without the form, time and space the thought will not be formed.  The thought rises only to the waking entity or dream entity. Without the waking entity or dream entity the thoughts will not rise. Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the self is the formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.  The three states are nothing to do with the self because they are mere illusion.

When one analyzes he finds the fact that the ‘I’ is mind and mind is present in the form of the universe and the universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.

Ego is physical mind and it is in the form of individual experience, feelings thoughts and sensations together.